Jaw-dropping Jewels about Jesus
Rarely does Jesus, God the Son, do exactly what we expect of Him. It seems odd that He so frequently surprises us, given that He never changes. Hebrews 13:8 makes this absolute statement: “Jesus the same yesterday, and today, and forever.” Still, though He is blessedly consistent in His goodness, Jesus does unforeseen things. Even when He does what is expected, He does not always do it in the way that we anticipate. Let us join with Jesus on a jaw-dropping journey. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
“The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:1) states that “the prayers of all saints” ascend “before the throne” of God (8:3-4). We are instructed to pray for certain people, including our leaders. I Timothy 2:2-4 commands that intercession be made “for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” Two thoughts come quickly to mind (or, at least, as quickly as anything can as I grow older and slower). First, Paul lived under the despotic reigns of Roman emperors, including cruel Caligula and neurotic Nero. Paul correctly understood that these lost leaders needed prayer if they were going to change. Modern applications abound. Second, Paul’s desire for “a quiet and peaceable life” is directly connected to the furtherance of the Gospel message. He was not interested in withdrawing from this wicked world. Rather, he wanted to make this a better place one convert at a time, preparing people for the best place – heaven. Thus, our prayers include the corrupt captains of the capital but go beyond to the downtrodden denizens of our diseased nation. Is this a time when such prayer is desperately needed? Yes, it certainly is.